Lebanese judges have decided to continue their open-ended strike until their demands and financial, moral, and even health-related issues are resolved. This move has been supported by the Higher Judicial Council, which has understood their warning cries and the subsequent boycott. As the judicial strike enters its second week, the General Assembly of Judges held a meeting in the main hall of the Court of Cassation, attended by over 450 judges, including the President of the Higher Judicial Council, Judge Souhail Abdoh, council members, and judges from the courts of cassation, appeals, public prosecutions, and all judicial circles. The attendees discussed the reasons behind the boycott and the difficult financial, moral, social, and health conditions judges are facing.
At the conclusion of the deliberations, it became apparent that discussions with officials had not led to any results in achieving the minimum demands of the judges. Therefore, the attendees unanimously decided to "continue the boycott and keep the meetings open to monitor all developments." Once the assembly ended, in which 90% of Lebanese judges participated for the first time, the Higher Judicial Council hurriedly convened an emergency meeting to discuss the overall judicial situation and the proposals made by judges during the assembly. A statement issued after the meeting stated: "The Higher Judicial Council, which is keen on the proper functioning of the judiciary and its dignity and independence, and vigilant about judges' rights and ensuring them, adopts all the judges' demands and the resulting boycott until what has been agreed upon is implemented."
The statement added, "The council points out that the deterioration of judicial conditions is primarily due to the failure to pass the law on the independence of the judiciary, which will remain a subject of ongoing scrutiny by the Higher Judicial Council, which keeps its meetings open in this regard." A prominent judicial source revealed to Al-Anbaa that judges "are heading towards further escalation, especially after they sensed complete neglect from political officials regarding all the demands they raised." The source emphasized that "the financial and social crisis can no longer be tolerated, especially as we approach a new academic year that brings additional financial burdens." The judicial source, who refused to be named, stated, "Enough is enough; there are judges suffering from health issues, some of whom have undergone surgeries at their own expense, and no one follows up on their needs for medication and treatment." The source questioned, "Are judges expected to become beggars?" Regarding the noteworthy step of the President of the Higher Judicial Council and council members adopting the strike and escalation measures, the judicial source stressed that "the council president is also a judge who experiences the same pain; how can he and the council ignore the stance of 450 judges?"
